Abdul (also

transliterated Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one writing system, script to another that involves swapping Letter (alphabet), letters (thus ''wikt:trans-#Prefix, trans-'' + ''wikt:littera#Latin, liter-'') in predictable ways, such as ...

as Abdal, Abdel, Abdil, Abdol, Abdool, or Abdoul; , ) is the most frequent transliteration of the combination of the Arabic word '' Abd'' (, meaning "Servant") and the definite prefix '' al / el'' (, meaning "the"). It is the initial component of many compound names, such as ' (usually spelled ''Abdel Hamid'', ''Abdelhamid'', ''Abd El Hamid'' or ''Abdul Hamid''; lit. "servant of the Praised"), ' ( Abdullah), and ' ( Abdul Malik). The most common use for ''Abdul'' by far, is as part of a male

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

, written in English. When written in English, ''Abdul'' is subject to variable spacing, spelling, and hyphenation. It is a common name in the

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, the

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, the

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, and predominantly

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countries of

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. It is also used amongst

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s and

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. The meaning of ''Abdul'' literally and normally means "Slave of the", but English translations also often translate it to "Servant of the".

Spelling variations

Variations in spelling are primarily because of the variation in pronunciation. Arabic speakers normally pronounce and transcribe their names of Arabic origin according to their spoken Arabic dialects. Therefore, it is pronounced and written ''Abdel...'' or ''Abd El...''. However, non-Arabic speakers or Arabic speakers may choose to transcribe the name according to the Literary Arabic pronunciation, which is the language of

Quran The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

, pronounced as and written ''Abdul...''. For other variations in spelling, see the

Arabic grammar Arabic grammar () is the grammar of the Arabic language. Arabic is a Semitic languages, Semitic language and its grammar has many similarities with the Semitic languages#Grammar, grammar of other Semitic languages. Classical Arabic and Modern St ...

section.

Etymology

In Arabic language, the word ' means "slave" or "servant", from the

triliteral root The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or " radicals" (hence the term consonantal root). Such abstract consonantal roots are used in the formation of actual words by adding the vowel ...

', which is also related to the word ', "worshiping". The word has the positive connotation in the Islamic faith.In an Islamic sense, of worshiping and praising God, i.e. being a servant to God rather than idols.

Theophoric naming

Essentially there is no ''Abdul'' without the second part, when written in Arabic, thus it appears as a component of many Arabic and specifically Muslim names, where it is the opening of a religiously based name, meaning: "Servant of..." with the last component of the name being one of the

names of God in Islam Names of God in Islam () are 99 names that each contain Attributes of God in Islam, which are implied by the respective names. These names usually denote his praise, gratitude, commendation, glorification, magnification, perfect attributes, ...

, which would form a Muslim Arabic

theophoric name A theophoric name (from Greek: , ''theophoros'', literally "bearing or carrying a god") embeds the word equivalent of 'god' or a god's name in a person's name, reflecting something about the character of the person so named in relation to that d ...

. Such as Abdullah simply meaning "Servant of God" while "Abdul Aziz" means "Servant of the Almighty" and so on. The name ''Abdul Masih'', ("Servant of Christ") is an Arabic

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

equivalent. In addition, ''Abdul'' is occasionally, though much more rarely, used in reference to a figure other than God. For example, the Indian name ''Abdul Mughal'' ("Servant of the Mughal Empire").

Derived theophoric names

;The most common names are listed below * Abdullah,

Servant A domestic worker is a person who works within a residence and performs a variety of household services for an individual, from providing cleaning and household maintenance, or cooking, laundry and ironing, or care for children and elderly ...

Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...

Abdulaziz Abdulaziz (; ; 8 February 18304 June 1876) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 25 June 1861 to 30 May 1876, when he was overthrown in a government coup. He was a son of Sultan Mahmud II and succeeded his brother Abdulmejid I in 1861. Ab ...

, Servant of ''the Almighty'' * Abdulkarim, Servant of ''the most Generous'' * Abdurrahim, Servant of ''the Merciful'' * Abdurrahman, Servant of ''the Benevolent'' * Abdussalam, Servant of ''the Peaceful'' * Abdulqadir, Servant of ''the Powerful'' * Abdul Latif, Servant of ''the Gentle''

Arabic grammar

When followed by a sun letter, the ''l'' in '' al'' (normally pronounced colloquially ''el'') assimilates to the initial consonant of the following noun, resulting in a doubled consonant. For example, "Abdul Rahman", would be pronounced in Literary Arabic: Abdur-Rahman . When the definite article is followed by a moon letter, no assimilation takes place. Therefore, ''Abdul'' is not always used as the opening part of the name; if the second part starts with a sun letter, it may become forms including Abdun, Abdur, Abdus, or Abdush, the vowel in each name, similarly with ''Abdul'', is also open to differing transliterations.

Independent naming

''Abdul'' does not appear on its own as a male given name when written in Arabic. In some cultures, the theophoric part may appear to be a stand-alone middle name, or surname, thus confusing people as to whether ''Abdul'' is an accepted given name. Often if someone shortens his/her name, he may equally choose the theophoric part or ''Abdul''. However, ''Abdul'' by itself is sometimes used as an independent full given first name outside of Arabic-speaking societies. Most commonly ''Abdul'' is followed by one of the names of God found in the Quran, the Islamic scriptures, for example "Abdul Rahman", which means "slave/servant of the Merciful".

Given name

* Abdul Razzaq Anjum (1952–2003), Pakistan Air Force Vice Marshal * Abdul Aziz, several people * Abdul Azim Badakhshi (born 1995), Afghan-born businessman, social media personality, and

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

athlete * Abdul Carter (born 2004), American football player * Abdul Thompson Conteh (born 1970), Sierra Leonean footballer *

Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh Abdul Hamid Muhammad Abdul Rahman al-Dbeibeh (, also transliterated as Dbeibah) is a Libyan politician and businessman who is the prime minister of Libya under the Government of National Unity (Libya), Government of National Unity (GNU) in Tripo ...

(born 1958), Libyan politician and businessman * Abdul Diallo (born 1985), Burkina Faso footballer *

Abdul Sattar Edhi Abdul Sattar Edhi (; 28 February 1928 – 8 July 2016) was a Pakistani Humanitarianism, humanitarian, Philanthropy, philanthropist and Asceticism, ascetic who founded the Edhi Foundation, which runs the world's largest ambulance network, along ...

(1928–2016), Pakistani humanitarian, philanthropist and

ascetic Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures through self-discipline, self-imposed poverty, and simple living, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their pra ...

* Abdul "Duke" Fakir (1935 – 2024), American singer, best known as a member of the

Four Tops The Four Tops are an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan in 1953 as the Four Aims. They were one of the most commercially successful American pop music groups of the 1960s and helped propel Motown Records to international fame. The ...

* Abdul Fatawu (born 2004), Ghanaian professional footballer * Abdul Gaddy (born 1992), American basketball player *

Abdul Kabir Mawlawi Abdul Kabir () is an Afghan politician and a senior member of the Taliban leadership.Abdul Kadir Abd al-Qadir or Abdulkadir () is a male Muslim given name. It is formed from the Arabic words '' Abd'', ''al-'' and '' Qadir''. The name means 'servant of who can do everything'. ''Al-Qādir'' is one of the names of Allah in the Qur'an, which ...

(1952–2018), Guyanese politician, convicted terrorist. *

Abdul Halim of Kedah Al-Mu’tassimu Billahi Muhibbuddin Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah (Jawi script, Jawi: ; 28 November 1927 – 11 September 2017) was the 28th Sultan of Kedah from 1958 until his death in 2017, and served twice a ...

(1927–2017), 28th Sultan of Kedah * Abdul Ghaffar Khan (1890–1988), Pakistani Pashtun independence activist *

Abdul Qadir Gilani Abdul Qadir Gilani (; ; c. 1077/78 – 1166) was a Hanbali scholar, preacher, and Sufi leader who was the eponym of the Qadiriyya, one of the oldest Sufi orders. He was born c. 1077/78 in the town of Na'if, Rezvanshahr in Gilan, Persia, ...

(1077/1078–1166), Hanbali scholar, preacher, and Sufi leader *

Abdul Hamid II Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...

(1842–1918), 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire *

Abdul Hakim Haqqani Abdul Hakim Haqqani ( ; born 1967), also known as Abdul Hakim Ishaqzai ( ), is an Afghan Islamic scholar and writer who has been the chief justice of Afghanistan since 2021 in the internationally unrecognized Taliban regime. He has also served ...

(born 1967), Afghan Taliban jurist * Abdul Hodge (born 1983), American football linebacker *

Abdul Razak Hussein Abdul Razak bin Dato’ Hussein (; 11 March 1922 – 14 January 1976) was a Malaysian lawyer and politician who served as the second prime minister of Malaysia from 1970 until his death in 1976. He also served as the first Deputy Prime Minis ...

(1922–1976), second prime minister of Malaysia * Abdul Rahman bin Faisal Al Saud (1850–1928), last emir of Nejd *

Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan ''Tuanku'' Sir Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad (Jawi script, Jawi: ; 24 August 1895 – 1 April 1960) was the Yamtuan Besar, Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan from 1933, and the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong of the Federation ...

(1895–1960), Yang di-Pertuan Agong * Abdul Razzaq (born 1979), Pakistani cricket coach and cricketer * Prince Abdul Mateen (born 1991), Bruneian prince * Abdul Momin (1788–1885), 24th Sultan of Brunei *

Abdul Muntaqim Abdul Muntaqim ibni Al-Muhtadee Billah (born 17 March 2007) is the oldest child and elder son of Al-Muhtadee Billah, heir-apparent to the Sultan of Brunei, and his wife, Sarah, Crown Princess of Brunei. The Prince is second-in-line to become ...

(born 2007), Bruneian prince * Abdul Qadir (1955–2019), Pakistani cricketeer *

Abdul Salis Abdul Wahab Mumuni (born 6 July 1979), known professionally as Abdul Salis, is a British actor. He played paramedic Curtis Cooper on '' Casualty'', the longest-running medical drama broadcast in the UK. Career Television Salis has appeared ...

(born 1979), British actor * Abdul Sattar, Indian politician * Abdul Rauf Abdulkarim Shaikh, farmer * Abdul Shamsid-Deen (born 1968), American former basketball player *

Abdul Vas Abdul Vas (born 15 March 1981 in Maracay, Venezuela) is a contemporary artist. He grew up living between Suriname, Guyana, and Belgium. After studies at EAVRA in Maracay and at the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam he lives and works in Amster ...

(born 1981), Venezuelan artist *

Abdul Rahman Ya'kub Abdul Rahman bin Ya'kub (; 3 January 1928 – 9 January 2015) was a Malaysian politician of Melanau descent from Mukah. He was the third Chief Minister of Sarawak and the fourth Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sarawak (Governor of Sarawak). He is als ...

(1928–2015), Malaysian politician * A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (1931 – 2015), 11th President of India * DJ Abdel, French DJ and producer of Moroccan descent playing hip hop, funk and contemporary R&B

Surname

Ari Abdul Arianna Abdul (born October 6, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. She has released two EPs and numerous singles as well as toured internationally and performed at Lollapalooza. Early life and education Abdul was bo ...

(born 2001), American singer * David Abdul (born 1989), Aruban footballer *

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...

(born 1947), American basketball player * Lida Abdul (born 1973), Persian artist *

Paula Abdul Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...

(born 1962), American singer and television personality

Fictional characters

* Abdul-Adl (阿布杜爾阿德勒), a character in the Taiwanese television series ' (八尺門的辯護人). * Abdul Alhazred, character created by American horror writer

H. P. Lovecraft Howard Phillips Lovecraft (, ; August 20, 1890 – March 15, 1937) was an American writer of Weird fiction, weird, Science fiction, science, fantasy, and horror fiction. He is best known for his creation of the Cthulhu Mythos. Born in Provi ...

* Mohammed Avdol (also spelled Abdul), fictional character in the

manga are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...

and

anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hirohiko Araki. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1987 to 2004, and was transferred to the monthly manga magazine ''Ultra Jum ...

'' created by

Hirohiko Araki , better known as , is a Japanese manga artist. He is best known for his long-running series '' JoJo's Bizarre Adventure'', which began publication in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' in 1987 and has over 120 million copies in circulation, making it one ...

References

{{Reflist Arabic-language surnames Arabic-language masculine given names Masculine given names Pakistani masculine given names